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'''Where'''? If a term appears throughout the agreement, put its definition in a glossary or definitions section at the ''end''. This is a core [[design]] principle. Definitions should be bits of extraneous detail that are not critical to the general thrust of the text, but useful amplification should a reader need it: rather like footnotes. For God’s sake, don’t put them at the ''start'' of an agreement. Would you start reading a book with the footnotes? If the expression only appears in one clause, define it inline in the clause. Guiding principle: how easy is it to find? Is the reader’s “[[user experience]]” better putting the definition at the back or inline? Use your common sense. | '''Where'''? If a term appears throughout the agreement, put its definition in a glossary or definitions section at the ''end''. This is a core [[design]] principle. Definitions should be bits of extraneous detail that are not critical to the general thrust of the text, but useful amplification should a reader need it: rather like footnotes. For God’s sake, don’t put them at the ''start'' of an agreement. Would you start reading a book with the footnotes? If the expression only appears in one clause, define it inline in the clause. Guiding principle: how easy is it to find? Is the reader’s “[[user experience]]” better putting the definition at the back or inline? Use your common sense. | ||
===The signifier=== | |||
Make the signifier — the label — as short and snappy as you can whilst remaining intuitive enough that an attentive reader can easily infer to what what it refers, so the reader needing to flip to the definitions to see what the signifier means. You might not know what “ERISA” means first time you come across it, but once you do, you will never forget it (trust me) so it is an excellent signifier for “The [[Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974]] (Pub.L. 93–406, 88 Stat. 829, enacted September 2, 1974, codified in part at 29 U.S.C. ch. 18) as amended, restated or superseded from time to time.” | |||
By contrast “Relevant Amount”, “Relevant Date”, or “Notice” — these are ''not'' effective signifiers. Relevant to what? Notice of what? If you are eighty pages into a security trust deed, this will not help your frame of mind. | |||
===''When'' to use definitions=== | ===''When'' to use definitions=== | ||
In two cases: | In two cases: | ||